


strawberries and cinnamon

by remjums



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Childhood Friends, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23598217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/remjums/pseuds/remjums
Summary: donghyuck believed that he loved all his friends the same, and he had no favorites. which was true, up until they had to kiss him.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno
Comments: 8
Kudos: 119





	strawberries and cinnamon

**Author's Note:**

> my best friend asked me to write nohyuck so here it is :D it's the first au i've finished i hope you enjoy it p.s. thank u genie for everything

Donghyuck loved his friends. 

They had been close for as long as he could remember, quite literally. Renjun and his half-brother, YangYang, were living three sidewalk concrete blocks away, Jeno’s house was directly behind them, and Jaemin’s neighborhood was a five minute bike ride up the main road. After they spent nearly twelve years together, they were inseparable.

They told each other things that they wouldn’t dare spill to anyone else. Nobody else knew about the time in sixth grade when Renjun’s birth father tried to move him to China, and YangYang cried every night for two months. Nobody else knew that Jaemin and Donghyuck met by chance, at the same therapy office. Nobody else knew that Jeno was severely scared of the dark.

They had traditions, like sweater swap Tuesdays and their annual vacation (that they would be allowed to go on by themselves when half of them turned nineteen). They had inside jokes, semi-weekly sleepovers, and monthly dinners where they get dressed up to have a multicourse meal at someone’s house (and said person would have to cook the meal by themself). They went on random trips to the mall, movies, bowling alley, beach, skating rink and or amusement park (only when it was Renjun’s turn to choose, due to his obsession with laser tag and bumper carts). 

If Donghyuck was asked by anyone on the outside to pick a favorite, he would smile and say they were all his favorites. When YangYang asked if it was him, he’d say yes or no depending on the day of the week. When Renjun asked, he’d kiss his forehead and say he couldn't choose him since he's already Jaemin’s favorite _._ When Jaemin asked he’d jokingly roll his eyes, which always earned him a slap in his arm. When Jeno asked him it was always genuine, whereas the other's asked to poke fun, and he'd blush.

Jeno always managed to pose the question well after he had crawled out of his own bed, because of some foolish fear that he never got over, and crept through Donghyuck’s backyard into his room window. 

Donghyuck would always squirm, Jeno’s hands feeling a bit too warm as the light from the moon hit his face at the perfect angle. He couldn’t stop his blood before it rose up from his quickly paced heart and made his face look various shades of pinks and reds. Instead of answering, though, he would simply move closer and place his hand atop Jeno’s and ask, “why? Am I your favorite?” Jeno’s cheeks, without fail, would mimic Donghyuck’s, and he would smile with his eyes whispering back, “of course.”

Donghyuck felt as if he and Jeno had a relationship that was completely disparate from his other friends.

Jeno didn’t go to anyone else’s house when the dark permeated his room before he was able to fall asleep. Jeno didn’t use his strawberry and cinnamon body wash when it was someone else’s turn to get his hoodie. Jeno didn’t wait after school four days a week for anyone else to finish dance practice. Jeno didn’t let anyone else sit on his bed, not even his little sister when she came in to greet the boys.

At times, Donghyuck believed Jeno had the same butterflies that he did in his stomach every time their eyes met for a little bit too long. It was frightening, the intimacy of their relationship contrasted too much with the typical friendship they had with the others. Donghyuck was afraid that if they finally crossed the line it would shift their group dynamic completely. 

Today was a sleepover day, and it happened to be at Jeno’s house. Donghyuck liked when it was Jeno’s turn because he was consistent. Every time he was the host, he’d invite everyone over at five p.m., and wait for them to show up before explaining to them whatever game he came across on his social media. Tonight he had chosen a couples game, in which two people had to answer a series of questions with the same answer. It wasn’t anything new, but it was causing trouble.

Donghyuck had been accused of cheating. It wouldn’t be the first (or last) time he was accused of this sort of foul play, however this was one of the first nights where he didn’t cheat at all. Not even once did he peek at his partner’s board. It was hard for Jaemin to back up the original allegation, because to prove he wasn’t cheating Donghyuck agreed to change partners. And, to everyone’s surprise, he won _every_ round.

“It’s not fair,” Renjun pouted after he and Jaemin had missed yet another question as Donghyuck and his third partner, YangYang, both had ‘rose’ written down for prettiest flower. 

Donghyuck wasn’t particularly interested in fun facts or anything of the sort when it came to his friends, but he observed quite a bit over the years of knowing them. He was arguably the most talkative among them, but he still picked up things from time to time when it came to their likes and dislikes. “It’s okay Jun,” he laughed, “ just admit I know you all better than you know yourselves.”

Jaemin scoffed, “I refuse to believe that.”

“I have a game,” YangYang expressed from his bean bag next to Donghyuck, their paper and pen long forgotten, “how about we kiss!”

Another thing about their friend group was that there was no real limit to what they would and wouldn’t do. Basically, anything goes.

Renjun was the first to show discomfort in this idea, his eyes nearly jumping out of the orbit, “I’m sorry, _what?_ ”

“Let’s kiss!” YangYang wasted no time to answer as he sprung up, “not like me and you, obviously,” he twisted his nose in disgust, “but like let’s all kiss Hyuck, if he knows us so well he should be able to tell who is who.”

Most people would call his idea insane, and a few might address it as the dumbest idea ever. Luckily, Donghyuck’s friends weren’t most people, and they all willingly agreed to kiss him.

Donghyuck had been kissed previously, in a school play where he acted as Juliet last minute because neither her nor her understudy decided to show. He knew that this would be a disaster, but his friends were bouncing off the wall when Jeno returned to the basement with a scarf to wrap around his eyes. Donghyuck took a deep breath, and with a smile plastered on his face he asked, “who’s first?”

“There are rules,” YangYang pressed. Donghyuck couldn’t see a thing, but he knew YangYang’s voice distinctly, the way he rushed words with his accented Korean. “You can’t take off the blindfold, you don’t say who you think it is until the end, and no talking.” Donghyuck nodded.

Shortly after the room fell silent, with only bits of quiet laughter here and there, Donghyuck could feel the presence of someone in front of him. His lips parted open as the person got closer. The boy erupted in a fit of giggles as soon as his breath fanned on Donghyuck’s nose, which earned him shushes from the other side of the room. Donghyuck knew it was Renjun before his lips made any contact. Renjun couldn’t be serious in any given situation, and Donghyuck distinctly remembers when this caused him trouble freshman year (due to his failure to stop laughing during the principal’s speech on phone usage in classrooms). In addition to that, Renjun’s small pecks around Donghyuck’s face mirrored his playfulness.

The next kiss came from Jaemin, and Donghyuck knew because it was directly on his neck, no warning. Jaemin’s specialty was that he would use all his willpower to get a reaction out of someone. Donghyuck was the only one who never seemed to be affected by him, but now it was taking everything in him to not make any sound (especially when Jaemin started to suck rather harshly). Thankfully, he heard someone murmur that it was enough. Jaemin placed a small kiss over the spot, grinning into Donghyuck’s skin.

The third kiss was the one Donghyuck anticipated most. The smell of strawberry and cinnamon perked his nose before Jeno was even close enough to be detected. Donghyuck’s chest felt heavy, his breath hitched and his pulse contended with the speed of light. His face, drained of all color from Jaemin previously, burned like a candle. His mind was spewing a thousand thoughts per minute when Jeno’s thumb circled his reddened cheek.

Jeno’s fingers were featherlight on Donghyuck’s face. He was gentle, it was in his nature, like when he wrapped his arms around Donghyuck from behind in long lines. Or when he played with Donghyuck’s ears when he thought he was asleep every night. Or when he ran his hands through Donghyuck’s hair to detangle it after a shower. Or when he fed Donghyuck fruit in their backyard picnics that they had when everyone else was busy.

“You’re blushing, Haechanie,” Jeno whispered his nickname too softly, Donghyuck almost missed it, his ears grappling it out the air. “Did you know it was me?” Donghyuck nodded his head slowly, as to not be caught by their other friends.

Jeno clicked his tongue, Donghyuck could tell he was smiling, “what gave it away?”

“The bodywash,” Donghyuck whispered just as soft as he leaned into Jeno’s touch. He would say he was somewhat obsessed with that particular scent, the sweet smell of strawberries blending with the perfect amount of cinnamon spice. He vividly remembers the first night Jeno used it, the aroma was overwhelming, but it smelled _so_ good he couldn’t complain. That night, when Jeno kissed the top of his head, like usual, Donghyuck leaned forward and kissed his bare shoulder in hopes of stealing a taste of the bittersweet soap. A few days later Jeno mentioned it was a seasonal summer scrub, and Donghyuck feigned disappointment (he was serious, but attempted to play it off as a joke) until Jeno agreed to buy enough to last through the next summer when it would be back on the shelves. 

Jeno hummed in affirmation, a small laugh brushed past his lips, “you always loved it.” He ran his hand down Donghyuck’s arm, stopping when he got to his hand. He played with his fingers, picking them up and letting them fall one by one.

Someone cleared their throat loudly, which caused Donghyuck to jump. Unlike everyone else, he wasn’t impatient, he was rather nervous for the kiss. Although he and Jeno had been treading between friends and something more for over a year now, this was too much. Suddenly, Donghyuck needed air. The room was too hot and Jeno’s hand was giving his fingers third degree burns.

“It's okay,” Jeno reassured him before he could say anything. Donghyuck wasn't readable, he took pride in the fact that he could feel any emotion he wanted without anyone noticing. Yet, he always let his guard down around Jeno. He needed Jeno to know what he felt whenever he felt it. By now, Jeno could practically read his mind. “We don't have to.”

Donghyuck _wanted_ to. He didn't know how to verbalize it. Instead, he lifted his hand to fold into Jeno’s the way it did under the lunch tables everyday at school, and Jeno rubbed his thumb across his knuckles because he knew. He knew that Donghyuck wanted to kiss him more than anything else at the moment.

Donghyuck reached his unoccupied hand behind his head and pulled the scarf until it dropped into his lap.

“Hey you can't do that, you lost!” YangYang just about screamed from the wall where he stood.

Donghyuck didn't care, the game was long forgotten when his eyes met Jeno’s briefly before he averted them to the ground.

Jeno tilted his head up with one finger, “can I kiss you?”

A smile danced on Donghyuck's face because _of course_ Jeno would ask. “Yeah,” he responded, voice barely audible over the beating of his heart.

Jeno didn't kiss his lips first, he started just below Donghyuck's ear and kissed half of his jawline. His lips were softer than fresh marshmallows, possibly even softer than the clouds that floated across the morning sky. When he got to Donghyuck's chin he placed two small kisses between it and the base of his lips. He removed his lips and scanned his eyes across every inch of Donghyuck's face before he finally affixed their lips together.

Donghyuck was in love. He was in love with the way Jeno’s lips molded into his as if they were meant to kiss like this. He was in love with how slow Jeno kissed him, how much love he put behind every motion his lips made. He was in love with the way Jeno tasted like foam and chocolate, because even though chocolate milk isn't warm he still loved putting whipped cream and toppings on top of it. He was in love with the way Jeno held onto the back of his neck to keep them from breaking apart. He was in love with how the smell of the strawberries and cinnamon caressed his senses like background music. Most of all, he was in love with Jeno. He was intensely in love with Jeno.

When the kiss was over, the smell of the strawberries and cinnamon lingered the way it always did. They were breathless, but content. Their hands were still interlocked, and the room seemed lighter. Donghyuck smiled and pressed his forehead to Jeno’s. He didn't want to leave his realm too quickly, if at all.

Donghyuck loved his friends, all four of them. He loved them all, fair and equal.

But, he now understood that his love for Jeno, the love that tied them together in his bed every night, was distinctly special.

**Author's Note:**

> twitter; fairysuhs


End file.
